The present invention relates to an electrode kit for muscle stimulation, to be used in conjunction with a splint.
Such splints are used for electrical stimulation of paralyzed limbs in therapeutic exercises (TES) and for generating limb function (FES).
Electrodes for these devices usually comprise a base member attached to the inside of the splint and a pad consisting of a liquid-absorptive material, which constitutes the coupling agent between the electrode and the surface of the patient""s skin. While the location of the electrodes relative to the motor points of the muscles to be stimulated is permanent and is determined by a clinician, the pads must be of a design facilitating rapid and easy removal and replacement; such replacement should require the use of no more than one hand.
In many of the known TES and FES devices, replacement of dried-out pads is a process complex enough to make it difficult for a patient having only one functional arm and hand to perform this operation himself and requires the aid of an assistant. Also, the location of the pad relative to the electrode is not always well-defined, producing a misalignment between the electrode and motor point which is liable to cause an undesirable overflow of the electrical stimulus.
It is thus one of the objects of the present invention to provide an electrode kit that not only facilitates easy removal and replacement of the pads, but also ensures exact reproducibility of the pad position relative to the motor point.
According to the invention, the above object is achieved by providing an electrode kit for muscle stimulation to be used in conjunction with a splint, said kit comprising an electrode carrier attachable to an interior surface of said splint and consisting of a relatively thin, flexible, tray-like member; a thin, flexible electrode member fixedly attached to said electrode carrier, and a skin-contacting pad member consisting of a piece of liquid-absorptive material fixedly mounted on a rigidifying frame attachable to, and removable from, said electrode carrier.